


Five Nights At Sandy's

by QuickySand



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: A wee bit o' gore, Multi, badassery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-14 05:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 18,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4552893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickySand/pseuds/QuickySand
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jamie and his friends convince Ms. Bennett to open up a Pizzeria based around the Guardians. Unfortunately, the first night-guard turns out to be a murderer... Many years later, the Guarded are full grown and looking for jobs. The Pizzeria has been reopened for a while now, so what better place to get a job then the building they created? All of his friends get day jobs while naive little Jamie jumps for the chance to become security, despite the rumors of previous night-guards disappearing... Will he solve the mystery? Probably. He's as stubborn as a mule. And he has no idea what a good paycheck is...</p><p>Disclaimer: This is not my story, it belongs to my closest friend. She began to write it because I gave her the idea, but she said I could post it here. You can find her here: http://puppyeyes427.deviantart.com/</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

  The Guardians’ Pizzeria. The place where children went to see the Guardians during the daylight. Or, their animatronics, at least. Each Guardian had a robot to match them. Sandy was the beloved mascot and the lead singer. For a robot, he had a great voice. Bunny was the guitarist, and amazing at it. He still had an Australian accent. Tooth was at the keyboard, called Toothie by all of the children. Even as a robot, she obsessed over everyone’s teeth. Jack Frost, who was in charge of “Winter Wonderland”. It was a place on the side, a cold room where kids would bundle up and play in fake snow. North, who would wander around and hand out toys to children who were behaving properly. Unlike the real North, his animatronic didn’t have tattoos. Pitch Black, who’s inspiration recently became a Guardian, had his own room. Brave children would go in and if they couldn’t be scared out of the maze, they got a prize from the animatronic himself. Then there was Nightlight, Protector of the Night, along with Mother Goose and Ombric the wizard. They had been worn down and stashed into a room in the back, since we hadn’t enough money to fix them. Oh, are you wondering who is telling you all of this? My name is Jamie Bennett, the new night-guard for “The Guardians’ Pizzeria”. Why we needed one, I had no idea. My mother, Sirene Bennett, owned the place. My friends and I had inspired her to open it. My sister, Sophie, was a waitress. Pippa was a waitress as well, while Monty was a waiter. Cupcake ran the toy counter, while Caleb and Claude made the food. We all just landed a job here, since it finally reopened. Oh yeah, there’s something I forgot to mention; this place had been closed down because of a mass murder that occurred right beyond its doors. Now, I know that sounds bad, but the man who did it was caught and executed, though the bodies had never been found. The killer had been the first night-guard, and he had killed nine children. After that, the place shut down. When it reopened, employees came and went. However, night-guards came and disappeared… Was I worried? Of course, but I wasn’t afraid to take the job! It would help me save up for college, after all. A hundred and twenty bucks a week. Not bad…


	2. First Day

 “Alright, guys, good luck on your first day!”

“Yeah, good luck, mates!”

“We’ll see you as soon as we can!”

“Da! Be good!”

“North, they’re adults, now. Still, don’t slack off.” And with a silent smile and wave from Sanderson, the Guardians were off in the sleigh. I grinned and turned to my friends.

“You guys ready?” They all nodded eagerly, bright eyes and ecstatic smiles. I unlocked the door, being the only one besides my mother to have a key, and led everyone in. It was still early; 6:30 A.M.. My little sister yawned and rubbed her eyes once more. Twenty-one years old and she was _still_ adorable. Pippa wrapped her arm around my sister with a smile. Pippa and Sophie had begun dating two years ago, and planned on marrying in three more years.

“When will people start arriving?” Cupcake asked. Since the first time we saw the Guardians she had become more social and friendly, fitting into our group quickly and easily.

“It’s usually an hour or so after it opens. We have to make sure the place is spotless before then.” I answered, flicking on the lights. Even though this was the first time I had been in here since it had closed down, it looked pretty run-down to me.

“We have a lot of work to do.” Pippa sighed and I nodded.

“Well, we got an hour. Let’s get to it!”

 

“Ugh… What’s that stench?” I muttered as I neared the stage.

“It might be the animatronics,” Monty hummed, “I heard they haven’t been cleaned since this place was reopened.”

“Huh… I’ll make sure to do that during _my_ shift. Kids are about to arrive. Caleb, Claude, make sure to get out every ingredient you might possibly need, as well as your aprons. Sophie, Pippa, Monty, switch to your uniforms. Cupcake, make sure your counter is organized.”

“And you, Jamie?”

“I’m going to check out my workspace.”

“Got it.”

“See you!”

“I’ll be back, soon.” I said before departing.

 

“It’s kinda small…” I mumbled as I looked around. There was a metal desk against the wall that took up most of the space. On it was a monitor, a few flashlights, a tape recorder, a phone that didn’t look like it would work, some books and magazines, a creepy-looking plastic cupcake, and a tablet that wouldn’t turn on. “Huh… Oh well.” I looked around again. It really was quite a small room. There were two open doors, one on the left and one on the right. Both of them had two buttons on the side, all in arms’ reach of the rolling chair in front of the desk. The bottom two white buttons said “Light”, while the top two red buttons said “Lock”. I didn’t bother pressing any of them, already guessing what they would do. The last thing I noticed about the room, besides the newspapers that littered the floor, was the grate-less air vent near the ceiling above the desk. _I’ll need to buy a new cover for that,_ I thought as I picked up the newspapers, _So that I don’t get too cold. New batteries for the tablet, too._ I set the newspapers down in a neat pile in the corner before checking for what size batteries the tablet required. _Double A’s… Got it._ I placed it back down, glancing around once more before exiting the room. I glanced at the wall clock of the hallway I was passing through. It was 7:47 A.M. and I could already hear children cheering. I smiled as I came upon the Main Hall, embracing the sight of happy animatronics, happy kids, happy adults. I spotted the North robot off to the side, scanning the crowd for well-behaved children. With a smile, I walked over to him. He turned to me with an expression that almost matched surprise. “Hey, North, old pal,” I chuckled, “I haven’t seen you in a while.” He seemed to be scanning me. “You’ll never believe it; I landed a job here! I’m so excited to work with you guys. You were inspired by some of my closest friends, after all.” After a moment, he smiled and handed me a little sketchbook from his toy bag.

“Nice.” His voice surprised me; though it had cracked a bit, it still sounded so much like the real North. He himself had made them himself, of course. I smiled back and accepted the gift.  
“Thanks, bud,” I said and patted his shoulder, “I’ll see you later on tonight, when I come to wash you all up.”

“Hey, Jamie!” I carefully tucked the notepad into my pocket and walked over to the toy counter.

“Whatcha need, Cupcake?” I asked cheerfully.

“I ran out of silly snakes, could you grab more for me? There should be some in the back room.”

“Sure thing! I’ll be right back.” I waved to my sister as I passed by her, nodding at Monty before entering the back room. I had never been in here, before, even though I had always been curious as to what lay behind its door. As I closed the door behind me, me, I patted the wall for a light switch. I quickly found one and flicked it up. A dim light was cast upon the choking, obsidian darkness that led down a metal spiral staircase. _That’s creepy…_ I shrugged it off and walked down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I stumbled upon three slouched, shadowy figures. I panicked and flicked on the next light, then relaxed. It was only Nightlight, Mother Goose and Ombric sitting against the wall. To my surprise, they weren’t rusted. They smelled funny, though, like the other animatronics. And in the dim light, I thought I saw oil leaking from their eyes and mouths. “Poor guys…” I sighed sadly, patting Nightlight’s head. “If I had the supplies, I’d fix you all myself, but… Money doesn’t grow on trees. I’ll just have to raise it myself, then! Now… Where are those silly snakes?”

 

Already, it was almost closing time. I had found some batteries down in the back room for the tablet, also finding a generator stashed in the corner. After doing a little more cleaning up in my workspace, I had helped my friends with little tasks for the rest of the day. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“You know what they say about the night-guards, dude…”

“They all go in, but none come out.”

“You sure you don’t want one of us to stay with you?” I smiled at my friends and sister, feeling warm inside about how much they cared for me.

“I’ll be fine, guys. I promise! I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good luck!”


	3. First Night

  I took my time to check out every room in the pizzeria, in case I needed anything from any of them. “Alright, guys, you needs baths.” I chuckled as I stepped onto the stage, pulling out some oil and cleaner I had found in the back room. There were tons of useful supplies down there, to my surprise. I had also grabbed a few rags from the kitchen, knowing they wouldn’t be missed. “Let’s see, here… Sorry about this, guys, I don’t think this’ll sting too bad.” I sprayed some cleaner on Toothie’s face and gently wiped her off with the rag, taking care not to leave any scratches. I did this with the rest of her until the dim light reflected off of her body. I repeated this process for Bunny and Sandy, then oiled all of their joints. I stepped back to admire them. “Just like the day I first saw you…” I sighed happily, then walked over to North. “Your turn, buddy.”

 

After cleaning North, I moved on to Jack. “You know, I think I’ll call you Jacki. Uh… Just so I can distinguish you from a friend of mine,” I hummed as I shined up his head, “I wonder if you like having fun as much as he does… Who am I kidding? You’re a robot. Still… Huh? You have oil leaking from your eyes. Hold on, buddy.” I wiped away the dark liquid with a smile. “There. All better! I bet you have a stiff neck, huh? Here ya go…”

 

I checked the clock; 11:45 P.M., almost time for my shift to officially start. I patter Pitch’s shoulder, then headed through the maze and into the hall. 11:51 P.M.. I walked into my office and sat down with a content sigh. 11:59 P.M.. I watched the clock slowly tick to midnight and smiled, a shudder of delight running down my spine. _First job, first day at work. Err, night. I am now officially a man! Now, to-_ My thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. _What…? I thought it was broken!_ Slightly creeped out, I decided to just let it go to voicemail. “Hello? Hello! Uh… I wanted to record a message for you, to help you get through your first night.” _Who the Hell…?_ “Um… I actually worked in that office before you!” _The previous night-guard?_ “I’m, uh… Finishing my last week, as a matter of fact. I think I’m the longest surviving night-guard yet, haha… But don’t be alarmed! Now, I know it’s a little overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing to worry about. You’ll, uh… You’ll do fine! So, um… Yeah, let’s just focus on getting you through your first week, okay?” He continued on with a scripted welcome, and to my worry about how no one would be held responsible if anything happened to me. “Blah, blah, blah,” He sighed, “Now, I know that may sound bad, but there’s _really_ nothing to worry about! Nothing’ happened to _me_ yet. But, uh… The animatronics _do_ tend to get a bit quirky at night. Do I blame them? Hell no! If _I_ were forced to sing the same damn songs for twelve years and never get a bath? I’d be pretty pissed, too.” _Pissed? Is he saying they can get angry and emotional? This isn’t some horror movie._ “Just remember that these guys are beloved icons for the children. Show them some respect, right? Okay. So be away that the animatronics _do_ tend to wander at night. Some kind of “free-roam” thing. Apparently their servos will lock up if they’re in one place for too long. I dunno. Now, concerning your safety; the only _real_ risk as the night-guard is that, uh… These animatronics. If they see you after hours, hey probably won’t see you as a person. They’ll see you as an endoskeleton without its suit on. Because of this, they might try to stuff you into one of their suits. Now, that wouldn’t be so bad and all if it weren’t for the crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. You can imagine the discomfort, yeah? Yeah, they don’t tell you this stuff in the job description… But, hey! First night should be a breeze, I’ll chat with you tomorrow. Use that tablet to check the cameras, and make sure only to close the doors when absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power, ya know? Um… Use the lights to check the blind spots right outside the doors, but don’t keep them on for _too_ long. Eh… Oh, my name is Fritz, by the way. Well, uh… Goodnight.” The phone hung up and I relaxed. _That was certainly the highlight of my night. Hm…_ I picked up the tablet and turned it on. To my surprise, it was connected directly to the monitor and the cameras. The monitor had flicked on, showing how much power I was using and how much power I had left, as well as the time. I turned the tablet off, but the monitor remained on. It didn’t take much power. Turning the tablet back on, I began to slowly switch camera views until I saw the front stage. Sure enough, Sandy, Bunny and Toothie were on the stage. _Doesn’t look like they’re roaming, to me._ I glanced at the entrance to Jackie’s cove, but there was no disturbance. Then I looked at the closet in the left hall, but there was nothing but a few supplies. I switched back to the Main Hall, my skin crawling at what I saw; Bunny was standing firm between two tables, staring straight ahead. Looking at the stage camera, I confirmed that he was no longer there. I quickly glanced at the monitor; 92%. I checked to make sure Bunny was still in the Mani Hall, which he was, then switched the tablet off. _I’ve only got six hours…_ With that thought in mind, I decided to wait an hour before checking the cameras again. It passed by more quickly than I would have imagined, occasionally checking the lights. 89%, 1:24 A.M.. I flicked the tablet back on, relieved to find that Bunny had returned to the stage, and that Toothie and Sandy were still there. The curtains to Jackie’s cover were still untouched and Pitchy’s lair seemed normal. I jumped when I found Bunny in the closet, staring up at the camera. His eyes were completely black, a little white dot in each one.

“What the Hell…?!” I hissed, chilled by the animatronic’s creepy smile. I wasn’t completely unsettled, convincing myself that it was just the angle the camera was at. The robot was programmed to smile, and a shadow was cast upon his eyes. That was it, sure. I heard a low, sweet sound coming from the left hall after a moment. _Is it humming?_ The sound wasn’t human, almost as if it were two voices in one, but to my surprise… It wasn’t at all unpleasant. It relaxed me, even. I flicked the tablet off and checked the lights. Nothing. I turned the tablet back on as I began to hum with Bunny. _He’s pretty good, though._ His humming was strong and confident. _Was he programmed to do that?_ Suddenly, the humming stopped, and I saw that Bunny had returned to the stage. However, Toothie was no longer there. I hurriedly began swapping through the cameras. I found that the kitchen camera was audio-only, but I could hear something rummaging around in it. _So, she’s in there…_ I glanced at the monitor. _2:40 A.M., 83%. Almost halfway done, Jamie-boy. You_ will _get a hundred and twenty bucks at the end of the week._ I put down the tablet, then checked the lights once more. _Good, I don’t want-_ My thoughts were halted by the sound of soft chattering. I checked the lights. “ _Gah_!!” I clicked “Lock” as soon as I saw a broad, robotic smile. The steel door that slammed down, though, startled me more. I listened as Bunny began to paw at the door. 3:01 A.M., 76%. After a few minutes, the pawing sound stopped. I clicked on the light; he wasn’t out there. But I didn’t dare to open the door so soon. Yet, it was wasting a lot of power; 69%. I hesitantly opened the door… Nothing happened. I relaxed and picked up the tablet. Both Bunny and Toothie had returned to the stage. _You_ will _make it!_ I thought triumphantly. 67%, 3:23 A.M.. I smiled. _You will make it._ I thought once more.


	4. Second Day

I let out a tired sigh as I unlocked the double doors. Poking my head out, I saw sure enough that my friends were pulling up in their individual cars. They all ran over to me and I smiled. “So you _did_ survive!” Monty exclaimed.

“He’s a natural.” Cupcake giggled.

“Ah, it was easy,” I laughed sleepily, “Nothing out of the ordinary happened.” I had decided not to tell them about how dangerous my new job truly was, so that they wouldn’t worry themselves over something so simple as my safety. “Well, come inside. We’ve got to get ready.” They all nodded and followed me in.

“It smells better in here, at least.” Claude mused and I chuckled.

“That’s because I cleaned the animatronics.”

“They’re so shiny!” Sophie squealed.

“They look brand new.” Pippa agreed and I grinned.

“They better; it took me an hour to clean them all and oil their joints.”

“Really? Wow…”

“You, uh… You look tired.” Caleb hummed.

“I _am_ tired.” I yawned, closing the door behind us all. I checked the clock on the wall; 6:32 A.M.. The animatronics were back to their original places, blank eyes and blank smiles.

“You should rest, then.” Caleb said as he and his brother walked over to the kitchen.

“No, I’ll be fine.” I sighed, straightening my purple uniform tie and cap.

“If you say so…”

“Anyways,” I cleared my throat, “Let’s get down to business. Bathroom’s still need scrubbing, Pitch’s Lair needs to be reset, the animatronics’ songs need to be reshuffled, et cetera and et cetera.”

“Gotcha!”

“On it!”

“Got it!”

 

The day was going by rather slow, so naturally I was easily bored. “Where you going, big bro?” Sophie asked as I walked past.

“Just, uh…” I blushed sheepishly. “Lookin’ for North.” She rolled her eyes with a smile.

“He’s over there.” She gestured to the entrance of Pitch’s Lair, where the jolly animatronic was standing.

“Thanks, sis.” I chuckled and walked over to him. “Hey, pal.” He turned to me, then gave me a look almost equivalent to shock. “Found any nice kids, today?” He seemed transfixed on my uniform. “What, this? Yeah, I told you I landed a job here. I’m the new night-guard!” He looked… Worried? “Yeah, I suppose you’re right; I should take this off. It’s itchy.” I shrugged off the jacket and cap, untying the tie and setting the uniform on a nearby chair. He looked a bit more at ease, now. _Who am I trying to fool? Robots don’t have feelings._ “So… Last night was kinda strange, you know? I think I’ll manage, though. I need the money. I’m saving up for college! Guess what course I’ll be taking?” He stared intently at me. “Robotics! I’m going to be an engineer. That means I’m going to be building more guys like you! Isn’t that cool?” His smile reformed. _It’s almost like he can understand me…_

“Mommy, why is that man talking to the robot?” A little boy asked, stopping with his mother beside us. I grinned.

“Well, you see, little guy… This isn’t just _any_ robot. This here is my best friend, Nickolas Saint North! Others call him Santa. He gives toys to good children. He brings _wonder_ to this pizzeria.”

“Really?” He gasped.

“Yep! And Sandy over there? He’ll give you sweet dreams. And as long as you have hope, Bunny will be there for you. And if you brush your teeth, Toothie will make sure you have nothing but good memories!”

“What about Jack Frost and Pitch Black?” My smile grew.

“Every Winter day, Jack Frost will bring you joy. And Pitch Black… Why, he’s the very courage that keeps this place standing! He’ll make sure you stay strong in any situation.”

“Wow…”

“But remember, you have to be _good_ , or else no presents or fun or good dreams!”

“I’ll be good, won’t I, mama?” The boy looked up at his mother with big eyes.

“I’m sure you will, sweetheart. Thank you, sir.” His mother said sweetly.

“My pleasure! Oh, and the name’s Jamie.”

“Bye, mister Jamie! Bye, mister North!” North grinned and handed the little boy a fancy spinning top before he and his mother left.

“What a nice little kid.” I chuckled.

“Very nice.” North said to my surprise, but my smile only grew.


	5. Second Night

  “You sure you don’t want one of us to stay with you, dude?”

“Cut him some slack, an, he’ll be fine. Heck, he made it through the first night! Most night-guards don’t even do that.”

“Just stay safe, bro!” I grinned at my friends.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.” I waved as everyone drove off, then shuddered and sighed. _I hope._

 

“Well, if you’re hearing this, then you made it to day two! Congrats! I, uh… I won’t talk so long this time, since Sandy and his friends get more active as the week progresses… Just like humans, right? Heh, sorry. Bad joke. Anyways… It might be a good idea to peek at those cameras _while_ I talk, just to make sure everyone is in their proper place.” I quickly picked up the tablet and checked the Stage. No movement. None at Winter Wonderland or Pitch’s Lair, either. _Phew._ “Ya know… Interestingly enough, Sandy himself doesn’t seem to come off stage very often. He seems to become more active in the dark, though… Hey, I guess that’s one more reason not to run out of power, right? I also want to _emphasize_ the importance of using your door lights. I know I told you that before, but you can’t be too careful, ya know? Yeah, if you can’t find someone on your camera, check ‘em. You might only have a few seconds to react, yeah... Not that you would be in any danger, of course.” _Sure, Fritz._ “I’m not implying that.” _But, last night you-_ “Also,” I sighed, “Make sure to check on the curtain to Winter Wonderland from time to time. The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time.” I checked the cameras again; nothing. “I guess he’s shy, or something… Fuck, I dunno. I’m still tired… Anyway, I’m sure you have everything under control, and I’ll talk to you soon.” The recording ending and I relaxed a bit, glancing at the monitor; 12:59 A.M.. _He sure talks a lot. Let’s see..._ I flicked on the camera and checked around again. Still, nothing. _Are they going easy on me…?_ I told myself not to be ridiculous; they were _robots_. Still… I sighed and pushed my hands into my pockets. _Huh?_ I pulled out a little sketchbook and smiled. _Nicky’s gift. I must’ve left it in my pocket… Do I have a pencil?_ I pushed a few things on the desk around, grinning when I found few of them, as well as a pencil sharpener hidden behind the monitor. _Can’t believe I didn’t see those… Oh well. Hm…_ I checked all the cameras again; still no movement. _Alright, but what to write or draw?_ I smiled. _I know…_

 

It took me about another hour or two, with no movement from the animatronics, but I finally finished my picture. It was small, but well-drawn, for I was also very artistic. It was a picture of me and my friends hanging out with the Guardians at the North Pole, drinking eggnog and laughing at the drunken elves’ antics. I smiled and pinned it up on the wall above the monitor, then glanced at the cameras again. I raised a brow. “Shouldn’t they be moving? Oh well… Guess I’ll just watch the door lights, then.” I sighed, setting the tablet down, off, in my lap. “Now what? Ugh, I should bring some stuff from home to do… Well, I suppose I could write some stuff.” I began to hum, and I realized I was humming the same tune that Bunny had been humming last night. An idea quickly came to mind and I grinned. “I guess I’ll just make some songs.”

 

By the time I had written a few verses, as well as the notes, it was 5:31 A.M.. I glanced at the monitor again; 76%. _Huh. Strange… I guess they’re tired? Robots, Jamie, robots!_ A sudden chill ran over me, and I glanced up at the vent. _It’s not on…_ I gulped, realizing it was the same chill you’d feel in Winter Wonderland. I checked the cameras and my eyes grew wide. The curtain was open, the door opened as well. The sign beside the door said “Having fun?” and I paled when I read it. I quickly flipped through the cameras, gasping when I saw a blur of blue and white racing down the left hall. Reflexes kicked in and I slammed my hand against the lock button. A second later there was a bang against the steel door, and what sounded the metal banging on it. I shuddered. _Guess I should’ve listened to Fritz._ I checked the Stage camera and a shiver ran down my spine; the animatronics were staring straight at the camera, grinning madly. I glanced at the monitor; 5:49 A.M., 71%. I relaxed a bit, then smiled. _I can do this. Nice try, Jackie._


	6. Third Day

  I was jolted awake by something banging on something else. I instinctively grabbed a flashlight to bash it against whatever was in the room with me… Nothing was in the room with me. “Jamie, open up! We know you’re in there!” I relaxed and sighed in exhaustion, setting the flashlight back down on the desk. _Why is it so dark?_ I realized that I must have fallen asleep and let the generator run out. I sighed again, taking out my keys and walking down the hall to the entrance. The animatronics were back in their places. _Good._ I saw my friends looking in through double glass doors and smiled at them. _My relief._ I unlocked the doors and let them in.

“Dude, you look…”

“Horrible.” Claude said when his brother trailed off.

“Yeah, sorry, I haven’t had much sleep. You guys scared the Hell out of me when you knocked on the door, I was half-asleep and nearly fell out of my chair!” I laughed weakly and they all glanced at each other. “What?”

“You’re going home, today.” My eyes widened a bit.

“What? No! No, I can’t. I’ll just, uh… Sleep in my office, or something.” They looked worried, now.

“Dude, come on… For your health… You’ve got bags under your eyes.” I sighed.

“Look, I’ll do it tomorrow. Ok? I promise.” They each sighed.

“Just… Take care of yourself, big bro.” I smiled and nodded, leading them in despite my drooping eyes.

“Why is it so dark?” Monty asked, squinting his eyes as he peered down the hall.

“I must’ve let the night generator run out. I’ll go turn it back on. I also need to wash down the machines again, then I’ll take a nap.”

“Alright, don’t trip and fall!” Cupcake laughed when I stumbled a bit. I laughed nervously back and headed down into the backroom. When I saw Nightlight, Mother Goose and Ombric’s slouched figures, I smiled.

“Just a second, guys,” I murmured, “I’ll clean you up.” I hurried over to the generator and revved it up, grabbing a few cleaning supplies. When the lights flicked on, I grinned and knelt beside the three broken-down animatronics. “Poor guys… I _really_ wish I could fix you up… I remember the day when we first made you, heh… Bright and shiny and new. I remember I was against the idea because you weren’t based off of anyone, but when I saw your designs… I fell in love with you three. You were my favorite, outta the bunch. Along with North, of course, because he’s the closest to me. But… Maybe one day you’ll look like you first did.” I smiled as I finished wiping them down. “I hope I live to see that.” I smiled again and flicked the lights off, walking back upstairs with my supplies.

 

“You’re back.” I smiled sleepily and nodded, walking over to the stage.

“Just gonna clean everyone off, then I’m taking a nap.” I yawned as I stepped onto the stage, heading over to Bunny first. When I was done cleaning _everyone_ , I pulled a chair off to the side and set it against the wall between Pitch’s Lair and the Stage. I sat down and immediately fell to sleep.

 

When I woke up, I came face-to-face with a _metal_ face. I yelped and fell out of my chair, scrambling away. I was met with the sound of young laughter, and I looked around quickly. It had been Nicky who had startled me, standing right beside the chair I had been snoozing in. Around us were children, who giggled at my blunder. I blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed but completely refreshed. I glanced at a wall clock; 8:43 P.M.. _I slept through the whole day?!_ “Hey, mister Jamie!” A little boy nearest me laughed. I recognized him as the boy from yesterday and smiled, relaxing and seating myself back in my chair.

“Hey there, kiddo.” I chuckled awkwardly.

“Mister North was watching you all day, so _we_ decided to watch you, too!” I gulped and glanced at North, but his smile somehow calmed me.

“That’s kinda creepy,” I laughed, “None of you drew on me with a marker, right?” They all shook their heads with innocent smiles.

“Nope! But mister North gave you a present.” It was then that I realized I had something in my hand. I glanced down at it, instantly smiling; I had been given a little Nightlight doll. I smiled at Nicky and patted his shoulder.

“Thanks, pal. I’ll put it in my office!” His eyes seemed to sparkle with glee. I returned my gaze to the children. “Hey, do you guys wanna hear some stories?” They giggled and nodded excitedly.

“Ok, this one’s about how I first met Jack Frost…”


	7. Third Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All songs used in this, by the way, I think are gonna be from MandoPony.

_Ring, ring, yeah, yeah…_ “Hel-Hello? Hey! You’re doing great. Most people don’t last this long. Uh, I mean, ya know… They usually move on to other things, by now. Not implying that they die! No, of course not…” I gulped at the chilling statement. “Th-Th-That’s not what I meant. Anyway, I better not take up too much of your time; things start getting real, tonight.” _Real? And all that shit the last two nights wasn’t?!_ “H-Hey, listen, I had an idea… If you happen to get caught and want to avoid stuffed into a suit, try playing dead perhaps? Ya know, go limp. There’s a chance they might think you’re an empty suit!” I started flicking through cameras rapidly. Toothie was in the Main Hall, but that was it. I flicked the tablet back off. “Then again, if they think you’re an empty costume, they might try t’… Stuff a metal skeleton into you. Wonder how that would work? Ew… Yeah, never mind, scratch that. I suppose it’s best just to not get caught.” _You think, Fritz?_ “Oh, and I almost forgot to mention; on the third night, Pitch Black seems to become antsy. He always was my favorite, though… I’ve seen him no the cameras before, looking a bit tired… Crazy, right? Haha… Um, he usually crawls through the vents, so make sure to check the one above you, often. There’s a reason those flashlights are there. Anyway, I guess I’ll leave you to it, see you on the flip side.” _I’d sure like to meet this “Fritz” guy. Sounds like a sarcastic riot… Alright, Bunny’s in the closet… Toothie is still in the hall… Oh, wait!_ When I saw that the entrance to Pitch’s Lair was open, I grabbed a flashlight and started to flick it up at the vent above me. I saw a brief flash of silver/gold eyes before a small shuffling. Switching back to the camera, I saw something slip into the lair and shut the door. I sighed, then tensed when I heard soft chattering. I closed the door without hesitance, flashing the light and seeing Bunny’s shadow in the hall.

“Lunar dammit!” I swore, rubbing my temples. I flicked through the cameras again before setting the tablet down, glancing at the monitor; 1:32 A.M., 83%. _Hey, I’m doing pretty good._ I thought with a smile, flicking the flashlight at the vent once more just in case. I minute or two after Bunny left, I reopened the door. I checked the cameras again. Jackie was peeking past the curtain. I stared at him for a moment and he looked up at the camera. _He can tell I’m watching him?_ He quickly turned and bolted back into his room, shutting the door. I let out a breath of relief and flicked over to the Stage, shuddering when I saw Sandy staring at me, his smile gone. _Shit._ Toothie was in the right hall, Bunny was in the closet again. _Come out of the closet, you gay kangaroo._ I thought with a little laugh, checking the door light. When I heard shuffling in the vents, I quickly turned on the flashlight. I stared, terrified, at the gray, almost expressionless metal face before me. Pitchy’s eyes narrowed and he crawled back. I saw that he had returned to his lair and let out a breath of relief. 2:14 A.M., 78%. _I can do this, I can do this…_ At soft giggling to my right, I flicked on the light and slammed the door down when I saw Toothie’s madly-grinning face. I quickly checked Pitch’s Lair and saw Pitchy strolling out of it, a hand over his mouth as if he was yawning. _Ok, get ready to turn on the flashlight…_ I spared a glance at Jackie’s cove, and after another stare-down with the animatronic, flicked on the right light. _Toothie’s not there._ I opened the door and flicked the flashlight at the vent several times, watching Pitchy return to his lair with an almost _frustrated_ look? Nah. _As if. Hm, Bunny’s still in the closet… Gay kangaroo. Shit, I already made that joke. Oh well…_ I checked the monitor again; 2:42 A.M., 73%. _Wow, time sure is going fast._ I took out my sketchpad and looked through it, beginning to hum lyrics and unfinished chords to myself. I kept an eye no the doors, cameras, and vent all the while. _Ah, shit, where’s Sandy?!_ I yelped when I saw him in the entrance of the boys’ bathroom, staring straight at the camera with a mad grin and black-void eyes with white pin-pricks for pupils. In a flash, a fuzz-up of the screen, he was gone and back to the Stage. _Messing with me…?_ I gasped and raised my flashlight, which nearly hit a gray metal hand that was reaching for me. I flashed it rapidly on and off at Pitchy, who his and scowled before making a quick escape. Bunny was in the left hall, now, and Tooth was in the Main Hall. I glanced at the monitor; 3:25 A.M., 68%. _Tomorrow is going to be Hell…_

 

Around 5:30 A.M. or so, the animatronics seemed to finally give up and return to their places, though I made sure to keep an eye on them, just in case. All the while, I kept going over the song I was creating in my head. I began to hum again. “You’ll be so happy just as long as you survive the night…”


	8. Fourth Day

  Of course, my friends forced me to go home as soon as I opened the doors for them. I allowed them, this time; I was dead tired and needed to sleep, without being disturbed. “Hey, sweetie, how’s work going for you?” My mom asked as soon as I walked into the living room. I smiled at her.

“G-Great, I’m just… Real tired. I’m, uh… Gonna…”

“Oh, of course! Here, sleep on the couch; you look too tired to make it up the stairs. I’ll go grab you a blanket and regular pillow!” I smiled gratefully.

“Thanks, mom.” As soon as I hit the couch, I practically fainted.

 

“Gah! No, come on! This isn’t fair, the power was already drained!!” I screeched as I was dragged down a seemingly endless corridor by Toothie. All around it was dark, since the power had quickly failed. I had been slammed to the floor by Pitchy and thrown like a ragdoll for Jackie to kick over to Toothie, which led to my current position. I was battered, bruised, cut, bleeding… My nails scraped the floor, leaving scratches in their wake. The sound of my nails against the floor and robotic screaming made my ears bleed and my head pound. Tears leaked from my eyes. The tears were _blood_. The animatronics were covered in _blood_. _Blood_ was running down the wall. The red substance was leaking from every orifice! “No!! Please!! I don’t want to die!! I haven’t even gone to college!! Toothie, _please_!!” I was thrown on the floor, and I curled up sobbing as I waited for another blow. When nothing came, I looked up and paled. Bunny was staring down at me with his jaws open. His teeth were _sharp_ and covered in _blood_. He pounced and began tearing at my flesh with metal claws and fangs. All the while, Sandy was watching with his terrifying eyes and maddening grin.

_“Jamie, wake up.”_ I looked around for the source of the voice, bleeding profusely on the ground which was glistening with my own blood and the blood of previous night-guards. My gaze rested on Nicky, who was crying _blood_ and kneeling down beside me, as if he didn’t know how to help me. _“Wake up, kid, you’re having a nightmare.”_ The voice was familiar… _Nightmare? Oh!_ With an unbelieving laugh, I forced myself awake.

 

I shot up, panting heavily and sweating badly. “Are you alright?” I looked forward and saw Pitch sitting on the arm of the couch I was laying on. Instinctively I glanced at the clock; 6:54 P.M.. I relaxed, wiping away any tears that tried to escape.

“Yeah,” My voice cracked and I started over, “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for, um… Getting me outta there. I mean, uh…” He smiled, something that instantly soothed me.

“No problem, kid. Stressed over work? That nightmare was pretty brutal…” I hesitated.

“Uh, yeah, heh…” Pitch raised a brow, but didn’t question any further. He stood up and I panicked, grabbing his sleeve and startling him. He stared at me with wide eyes. “No! I, um… Please, stay, I… I don’t want to have another nightmare…” He relaxed and sat back down with a familiar chuckle.

“Then you should be asking the Sandman, not me. I specialize in nightmares, remember?” I laughed softly, relaxing as well.

“True… I guess I just need someone to talk to, to steel my nerves before I go back to work tonight. So, uh… How’d you find my nightmare?” I asked casually.

“You’re one of the only few sleeping at this hour in this district, it wasn’t very hard.” I raised a brow inquisitively and he faltered. “Alright, you caught me. Sanderson informed me that you hadn’t gotten much sleep since you started work, and asked me to check in on you.” I smiled.

“Is he still flirting with you?” Pitch blushed and looked away briefly. “I’ll take that as a yes. How have you been dealing with it?”

“Well, to be honest, Jamie, I’ve, um… I’ve been trying to play it off. But, well… Don’t tell anyone, please?” I nodded sincerely and crossed my heart. “I think I’ve been developing feelings for him, as well.” My eyes widened and I grinned broadly. “What’s with that look?” I giggled and he blushed again.

“You’re so cute when it comes to expressing your feelings, Pitch.” He looked away awkwardly and I paused. “No, that’s a good thing! It’s one of the many reasons Sandy likes you. It definitely makes it easier for you to get along with. Hey, at least you’re not denying you can feel anything other than hate, like when Lunar first wanted you as a Guardian.” Pitch relaxed and smiled faintly, returning his gaze to me with a nod. I glanced at the clock, then jumped; it was already 10:00 P.M.?! _What the Hell happened to the time?!_ “Shit, I gotta get on my suit!” I yelped, throwing off my blanket and rushing over to the counter in my boxers, since I had taken my suit off for my mom to wash later.

“Language, Jamie,” Pitch laughed, standing up as I struggled with my pants, “Would you like me to accompany you?” I relaxed with a smile and a nod as he placed my cap neatly on my head. “Why did your mother choose _purple_ of all colours?” He huffed and I chuckled.

“She said it goes good with silver, which is the Guardian emblem.” I gestured to the patch on his robe. Pitch rolled his eyes with a smile, helping me straighten my tie.

“There, come on.”

 

About ten-or-so minutes into our walk, the very topic of our earlier conversation came to join us. “O-Oh, h-hey Sandy.” Pitch stammered, and I smirked at the fact that he was stuttering like a fool. Sandy smiled and nuzzled Pitch neck, flying beside him. I heard Pitch’s breath get caught in his throat as his face turned a deep shade of red. I saw Sandy notice this with a broad smile and light blush.

“You two are too cute together.” I chuckled, shaking my head at their antics as they both blushed darker and stared at me. “Alright, hurry along now, lovebirds. I have a job to do and we can’t have all the children fawning over people their parents can’t see.” They glanced at each other, then nodded and turned. “And I better see rings on your fingers the next time we meet up!” I called after them as they flew away. I laughed softly to myself and headed inside. _Well, here we go._


	9. Fourth Night

  “Hey, woah! Night four, didn’t think you could do it… I mean, most others didn’t. Listen, I might not be around to send you a message tomorrow.” As I checked the cameras, I heard loud banging. I panicked, only to realize it was the recording. My heart skipped a beat. _Oh no, Fritz!_ “It’s been a bad night here, for me… I’m just glad I kept recording these messages for you. Kinda keeps my sanity, ya know? Um… Maybe, sometime you should check all the rooms thoroughly. I’ve heard this place holds secrets… A lot of ‘em… Probably surrounding those murders a few years back,” I gulped, “Oh no…” I heard familiar music start up in the recording. It was Sandy’s signature song. “Ah, shit-!!” The call ended and my heart was racing. Tears filled my eyes. _Fritz…_ Even though I didn’t actually know him, I felt like he had become my friend through these last few nights. A sudden hatred filled me and I scowled at the tablet screen. _Come on, you fuckers, try me. I’m going to make it through this week, and the next, and the next! And you all aren’t going to stop me._

So far it had been easy, tonight. 3:36 A.M., 77%, and only Pitchy and Jackie had moved yet. I sighed as I stared a little longer at Jackie, and he scowled and returned to his room. _They’re getting angrier…_ I didn’t bother correcting my thoughts anymore, it would be too repetitive. _I wonder why I never see Nicky out? It’s like he’s hiding, or something… Is he afraid of the other animatronics? Hm…_ I glanced around, then grinned. _A soon as weekend comes, Jamie… As soon as weekend comes._

_Now_ the animatronics were becoming more active, even Sandy. I caught him several times in the bathroom entrances or Main Hall, and he quickly returned to his place on the Stage when I spotted him. I had to close the door once on Toothie, twice on Bunny. 5:23 A.M., 58%. I was confident that I could do this, since I had done so well the rest of this week. I heard soft laughing to my right and froze. _That definitely wasn’t Toothie…_ I flicked on the light and screamed; it was Sandy. He was definitely the most terrifying. I slammed my hand down on the lock, and heard more laughter from beyond it. It was slow and deep, horrifying my very core. I panted softly, sweating. _Come on, Jamie-boy, keep yourself together…_ I briefly checked the cameras again, but there was no movement. None at all. It was then that I realized… Glancing at the closed door, I shivered. _They’re going to let him take care of me._ I glanced at the monitor; 5:41 A.M., 49%. I relaxed. _Even if I keep the door shut for a long time, I should be fine._ I grinned, seeing Sandy’s frustrated look just outside the window. I smirked at him and he scowled. “Nice try, Sandy. But I’m going to make it through this week. I’m going to _live_.” _And tomorrow you’re going to try to make sure I don’t._


	10. Fifth Day

  I decided to sleep in my office today, but I didn’t really get much sleep. I kept listening to Fritz’s recording, tears in my eyes. _I’m gonna miss you, buddy… You’re the only one who understood._ I sniffed softly, holding my Nightlight doll close. “Jamie?” I jumped, nearly screaming when I saw Jackie- no, wait… It was the real Jack Frost. I relaxed, my pounding heart returning to normal. Jack stared at me with wide eyes, obviously startled by how I had reacted. “A-Are you okay, bud?” I wiped my tears away with a smile.

“Yeah, um…” I set the tape recorder and phone to the side. “Yeah. I just, um… Lost a friend of mine.” His icy blue eyes grew wide again.

“What happened?” I hesitated.

“He, uh… Had an accident during work, and… It was fatal.” Jack’s eyes softened.

“I’m sorry, bro… I hope you feel better. How is work going for you?” I tried not to hesitate again.

“Great! I love my job. I just don’t get much sleep… I should go home, more often.” Jack smiled and nodded, patting my back when I stood up. But then he gasped.

“Jamie, your arm!” I glanced to my right, eyes widening when I saw a long gash on the inside of my right arm. It was bleeding heavily, so that would explain why I was pale and felt faint. I gulped, looking back up at Jack with a weak smile.

“Must’ve done it last night, when I as turning the generator back on.” I lied smoothly, and my friend easily bought it. “I’ll go down into the back room and patch up; I think I saw a medical kit in there.” Jack smiled again and nodded.

“I gotta go anyway, kiddo. North needed my help today,” We hugged tightly, “Good luck, bro!” I waved goodbye as he flew out, feeling a bit woozy and rubbing my head. I stumbled out the right hallway, making sure not to draw attention to myself as I slipped into the back room. I gripped the rail weakly as I made my way down the stars, lumbering over to the shelf where I had seen the medical kit.

“Here we go…” I breathed, cleaning the blood away as best as I could and wrapping my arm up. Brief memories of last night flashed through my mind and I shuddered. _Must’ve happened when Pitchy tried to grab my arm._ _I’ve gotta be more careful…_ I shook myself away, feeling a bit better, then glanced at the three broken down animatronics that were in the room with me. “Soon, guys,” I murmured, “I promise.”

 

After putting one of the medical kits in my office, I slowly made my way into the Main Hall. My sister was the first one over to me, then Pippa. Monty and Cupcake watched from a distance, while Caleb and Claude were unaware in their kitchen. “Are you ok?” Sophie whimpered and I smiled.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I glanced at my arm, “Scraped it on something last night when I was restarting the generator.”

“Dude, you look like you’ve been crying.” Pippa said softly and my smile faded a bit.

“I just need sleep, is all. I’ll get some over the weekend, I promise.” I faked a yawn to emphasize my lie, and they quickly relaxed.

“Alright, well… Be careful, dude.” Pippa said before returning to serving customers. Sophie stared at me for a moment, then hugged me tightly. My smile returned as I returned my sister’s embrace, kissing her forehead before shooing her off.

“Mister Jamie! Mister Jamie!” I turned my head in surprise to a familiar young voice. It was the same little boy from the days before. Ethan, I recalled his name to be. He and a few other kids were sitting around Nicky, who to my surprise was sitting as well. I walked over to them, sitting beside Nicky with a smile. “What happened to your arm?” I hesitated. Could I really lie to a bunch of kids? It would be easy, but…

“I scraped it, last night at w-work.” My voice had cracked, but they still bought it. Nicky, however, didn’t look as though he did. He narrowed his eyes at my bandaged arm, anger in his eyes? Could the animatronics… Could they truly be alive? _Don’t be ridiculous, Jamie. This isn’t a cheap, crappy horror movie._ Nicky smiled again and handed me something out of his bag. It was another plushy, this one of himself. _Is he on my side? Jamie, stop it! Robots!!_

“We were just showing mister North some pictures we drew! Wanna see?” I grinned.

“Of course, kiddo! I’d _love_ to see your art!” They all scrambled over each other to hand me their pictures. I laughed, then paused when I saw the drawings. I was genuinely warmed; they had drawn me and Nicky together, and me with all the other animatronics as well.

“Do you like them?” Ethan asked in a squeak and I chuckled.

“Of course! I love them!” The children giggled happily.

“Great! We made ‘em for you!” I paused again, then smiled warmly and ruffled the hair of each of them.

“Thanks, I’ll put them in my office so I can always see them when I work.” A few of them squealed excitedly.

“Can you tell us more stories, _please_?” I glanced at Nicky with a smile.

“Sure! This is a story about the first time my friends and I went to the North Pole…”


	11. Not-So-Final Night

  I sighed in exhaustion as I wiped down the animatronics. It was 11:24 P.M., so soon my shift would start. I stared into Sandy’s unresponsive face. “I’m not gonna get a break tonight, am I?” I asked in a murmur, but of course there was no answer. I sighed against, wiping oil off my forehead. “Don’t be stupid, Jamie, they’re just robots… Right…? Yeah…” I walked over to Bunny and wiped off the last smudge. Then, without thinking, I hugged the animatronic. “I’m sorry…” I don’t know why I had said it, but I had given up questioning myself a while ago. I turned and hopped off the stage, then paused. “Things will change, soon.” I said to no one in particular, then began my walk down the left hall.

 

When I returned to my office, I quickly finished hanging up the children’s pictures on the wall. I smiled tiredly at them, then set my Nicky doll beside my Nightlight doll between the monitor and the fan. I smiled more as I glanced around. _It’s already so much more homey in here! I guess I could get used to this…_ As the clock chimed midnight, a shudder ran down my spine. _In time._

I was surprised by the lack of activity from Pitchy, but I didn’t take it for granted; my arm was still stinging, after all… There were still attack attempts from Bunny, Toothie and Jackie, however. But those were easy to me, now. It was keeping up with Sandy that was taking its toll. 2:47 A.M. and already 72% left. _Ugh, tonight is absolute Hell…_ I thought, running a hand over my face as I checked the door lights. I had both doors closed, but Bunny was gone now so I could open the left one. After a few more minutes, Toothie had left for the kitchen. _What does she get up to in there, anyways?_ I pushed the though aside, as well as the tablet. When I felt a sudden chill, I sighed and locked the left door. The pounding of metal on metal was causing my ears to ring, but I pushed through it. When it was gone, I opened the door. Pulling up the camera, I decided to finally check Pitch’s Lair. I was surprised when I heard a soft humming when I did. It sounded like… Nicky. _What the Hell…?_ I realized with a start that _that_ was what was keeping Pitchy at bay. I grinned, my heart pounding excitedly when I came up with an idea. _Tomorrow, Jamie. Tomorrow._ I didn’t even look to the right when I heard deep laughter, just shutting the door. _Tomorrow._


	12. Jamie's Weekend

  When I opened my eyes, I panicked when I saw a blur off to my right; something had run out of the office. I stood up quickly, but whatever it was had gone. _What time is it?!_ I quickly checked the monitor, but it was off. My eyes widened. _The power went off and I fell asleep?! How am I alive…?!_ I rushed into the hall and checked the clock; 6:17 A.M.. I relaxed a bit, then winced at the burning pain in my arm. _Damnit…_ I hurried down to the back room and revved up the generator, then headed back upstairs. The lights flicked on one at a time, then brightened all at once. I walked over to the entrance and saw my friends pulling up. _I wonder when I fell asleep?_ I unlocked and opened the doors, greeting my friends with a bright smile. “Hey, Jamie! A whole week, you made it! We all agreed to help you clean, today.” I felt relieved; I didn’t want to be alone here on the weekend.

“Great!” I chirped, “I was actually going to grab a few things to spruce the place up, so if you guys can clean… What?” They were staring past me with wide eyes.

“Dude, what’s North’s robot doing standing outside your office?” I tensed, then looked back through the glass doors. Sure enough, Nicky was standing right outside my office door. _Was he the blur I saw…?_ I relaxed and turned back to my friends with a smile and light chuckle.

“I guess my mom didn’t tell you; the animatronics roam freely at night so their servos don’t lock up. It keeps them moving, ya know?” They all relaxed.

“Well, shouldn’t he go back to his spot?” I began to wonder the same thing, then remembered…

“Nicky doesn’t have a specified spot, so really he could end up anywhere in the pizzeria.”

“Nicky?” I grinned.

“Yeah! I’ve come up with a few nicknames for them so it doesn’t feel awkward talking about them or get them confused with the actual Guardians. I’m still working on it, though. I’ve got Nicky, Pitchy, the kids have deemed Tooth’s Toothie, and Jackie. I was thinking Bonny for Bunny and Sunny for Sandy, but… I dunno. It’s a work in progress. Well, come on.” We went inside, but stopped in our tracks when we got a closer look at Nicky. He was all scratched up and oil was leaking from his eyes. “Damnit, he must’ve fallen our something…” I sighed, taking a spare rag from my pocket and wiping away the oil. “I’ll have to pick up some scratch remover while I’m at the store. You guys go on ahead and clean the place, I’ll be back soon.”

 

“Did, what’s all that?” Cupcake asked when I returned with a few bags. I grinned.

“Just a few things to make work easier. A grate for the air vent in my office, some stuff for the animatronics, et cetera.”

“Oh, ok. Well, hurry up, then!” I nodded, still grinning, but my grin turned into a smirk as I entered my office. I made quick work of putting up the grate, tapping it with my wrench when I was done. _Try getting through_ that _one, Pitchy._ It had small slots, so I could still see if he was up there. _And just in case, I got you a little present, made special for you…_ I synced the music box up with the tablet, grinning when it _actually worked_. _Perfect._ I exited from the right side, my smile wiping away when I saw Nicky. I walked slowly over to him, setting a hand on his shoulder.

“So you really are alive… But why did you protect me…?” No response. I sighed, picking out my scratch remover. “Best I could find, pal. It shouldn’t sting…” I took my time, making sure to get rid of every mark and popping any dents. “But… How…?” I shook my head as I stood back up, staring into Nicky’s glassy eyes. “I won’t ask. Not in a world of magic… Thanks.” I entered Pitch’s Lair next. Since I had memorized the maze, I easily got through it. I smiled when I saw Pitchy standing idle next to an empty bedframe. I hid the music box underneath it, then chuckled and looked back at the animatronic. “Good luck, Pitchy.” I murmured, patting his arm, then walked back out. I quickly made my way into the kitchen, where Caleb and Claude were ‘cleaning up’. Really, Claude just had his arms around his brother’s waist as Caleb cleaned the dishes, nuzzling the younger’s neck. I rolled my eyes but smiled. “Hey, lovebirds.” They jumped and turned to me, then relaxed.

“You scared the Hell outta us, man!” Claude laughed and I chuckled.

“Whatcha need?” Caleb asked and my smile broadened.

“I was wondering if I could borrow your studio, this weekend. Please? I came up with a few songs while at work.” They grinned.

“Only if we can hear!” I hesitated, then forced a blush.

“I-I’d rather not… They’re kind of… Personal…” I said as awkwardly as I could, and their eyes softened.

“We got it, man. Go ahead! She’s all yours.” My grin returned and I nodded.

“Thanks, guys. It means a lot.” I said kindly before exiting. _I guess I’ll clean the other animatronics real quick, before I go…_

 

Since I was so artistic, or as my mother called me, “multi-talented”, I also knew how to play several instruments; bass, drums, electric guitar, guitar, Spanish guitar, piano, flute, oboe, didgeridoo, bongos, organ, and everyone always said that I could sing as well. Caleb and Claude often asked me to help them in their studio, since they were musicians on their often. They already had an album, which I was very proud of them for. I starred in one of their songs as the main singer, and three more as the drummer. We were planning on making a band once I finished college. I sighed happily as I entered their studio, petting their cat Ginger who was sitting on a stool. “Good girl.” I murmured, earning a purr, then walked over to the controls. I hit “Record”, then walked into the live booth. I picked up some empty music sheets, then sat on the drum stool. _Let’s see, here…_ I thought as I started a slow rhythm.

 

I ended up using just about every instrument in the room, but I managed to make two of the three songs I had made up during the week. I was tired, so the rest I would do tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jamie figured it out!! :D


	13. Jamie's Weekend Part 2

  After a good night’s rest and a sweet dream from Sandy, I ended up going to the store early in the morning. I browsed around, looking for stuff I might buy. I didn’t have much money left after yesterday, but… I felt that I was leaving Jackie and Nicky out. I found myself in the Winter clothing department and smiled at a bright idea. _Perfect._

 

I unlocked the pizzeria with a shuddery sigh, stepping in and closing the doors behind me. I flicked on the lights, nearly yelping when I came face-to face with Nicky. _If he’s on, does that mean the others are on?!_ Before I could open my mouth to say anything, I was pulled forward into a hug. Startled, I hesitantly hugged Nicky back. “Jamie.” My eyes widened in surprise as Nicky let me go; he could say my name? His voice had wavered funnily, too… He glanced at my arm, his _green_ eyes worried?

“I-I’m fine, Nicky, I promise. It’ll heal fast. What about you, are you alright? You took quite a beating…” He smiled and nodded. “Good. Then do you mind telling me how the Hell you’re alive?!” He flinched, quickly shaking his head. I relaxed with a sigh, calming myself down. Then I remembered something and my breath hitched in my throat. “Are the others…?” He relaxed as well, seeming to understand my unfinished question.

“No. Others… Asleep.” He seemed to have trouble talking, as if he wasn’t used to it. I wouldn’t imagine that he was.

“Well… Thank you.” He smiled and nodded, lightly patting my shoulder. “Hey, I have a present for you! So you can be a real Guardian, too.” His eyes shined when I pulled out a red scarf. On both ends I had stitched a silver “G” on, like the Guardian emblem. “Here you go, pal.” He allowed me to wrap the scarf neatly around his neck, looking very proud of it. “Hey, uh… Do you think Jackie would wake up if I put this on him?” I pulled out a blue scarf with white snowflakes on it and Nicky grinned and shook his head.


	14. Just Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much Disclaimer.  
> Very song.  
> MandoPony wow.

  I let out a shaky breath, holding the strap of my satchel tightly. Inside it were the sheets of music I had made over the weekend. “Hey, big bro!” Sophie greeted happily once I had walked in, hugging me tightly. I smiled and returned the embrace.

“What kept you, dude?” Pippa asked and I chuckled awkwardly.

“I was finishing something up at home, sorry.”

“It’s no problem, dude!” Pippa said cheerfully, kissing my sister’s cheek as Sophie hurried off to serve orders. “But, hey, did you happen to come over here yesterday?” I tensed.

“Yeah, why?” My friend’s smile grew.

“We saw the scarves you gave to North and Jack. They look good!” I relaxed and smiled.

“Yeah, I saw them at the store and thought they’d look good on them.” Pippa nodded eagerly.

“By the way, a few kids were asking about you. You seem to have your own little fan club.” I blushed, biting my bottom lip briefly.

“Really?” Pippa laughed and nodded.

“Over by _Nicky_ ,” My blush deepened, “Hurry up and greet them before they start a riot.” I chuckled sheepishly and nodded.

“Thanks. See ya!” I hurried over to the small group of kids who surrounded Nicky. Ethan was in the front and gasped happily when he saw me.

“Mister Jamie’s here!” The small group of children cheered as I sat beside Nicky, patting his shoulder. “You got them the scarves, didn’t you?” I nodded happily. “What about the others? Won’t they be unhappy that _they_ don’t get gifts?” I shook my head.

“I’ve gotten them very special gifts, but I can’t tell you or they’ll hear and it won’t be a surprise. Right?” They all nodded. “But just between you and me…” I leaned in to whisper to the small group. “I think they’re going to love their gifts.” I smiled and sat back up. _Definitely._ _Probably. Hopefully._

“I’m sure they will!”

 

_Alright, here we go…_ “Sure you don’t need anything, man?” I smiled and nodded my head, waving goodbye as I watched my friends drive away. I glanced at the clock; 11:09 P.M.. I smiled, opening my satchel and taking out the sheets of music. I headed into Pitch’s Lair, first, tucking a single sheet into his hand neatly. Then I headed out to the Stage, hopping up. I placed a packet of sheets in front of Sandy, a packet in front of Toothie, and a packet in front of Bunny. They were all to the same song, and I would give them two other songs sometime during the week.

“Enjoy.” I chuckled, then hopped off. I found Nick waiting for me with a worried expression. “I’ll be okay, bud. I think tonight’ll be pretty uneventful. By the way, where do _you_ go when my shift starts?” He hesitated.

“Winter,” He said rather quietly, “Jackie… Nice. Does not… Hurt me.” I raised a brow.

“If Jackie’s nice, how come he comes after me?” Nicky hesitated and avoided my gaze, quickly shaking his head. “Okay, I get it. I’m sure I’ll figure things out in time. Well, hurry up and hide, if you must.” Nicky nodded and hurried off, his scarf trailing behind him. I smiled again, turning and heading down the hall. According to the clock on the wall, it was 11:58 P.M.. I rushed into my office and sat down, picking up the tablet. But the only thing I did with it was wind up the music box before turning the tablet off. The bell for midnight chimed and I checked the camera for the Stage. I saw three familiar faces eyeing the sheets of music on the music stands before them. I grinned and quickly turned off the tablet again, waiting for the “magic” to happen.

 

Sure enough, a few minutes after my shift had begun, I heard music coming from the Main Hall. I quick-checked he cameras. They seemed to be practicing instrumentals, for the time being. I checked Pitch’s Lair and heard the soft humming of “Come Little Children” from within. I grinned and wound up the music box. “There ya go, pal.” The humming stopped, only to start again with new purpose. I checked Winter Wonderland, but there was no movement. I smiled again and turned the tablet off, enjoying the music. It was pretty uneventful so far, but around two o’clock I began to hear singing.

“Time for the main attraction-” The voice cracked and someone cleared their throat. “Time for the main attraction, the story must be told!” I smiled. _There ya go, Sandy._ “Time for a chain reaction… It never gets old. Some bots get satisfaction _breaking the mold_. Some bots are just distractions… Some bots are just gold.” Soft laughter from Sandy. “I’m not the bad guy. I’m just a bit surprising. It’s not worth losing sleep. It’s not worth analyzing… There was a man, not so long ago at all… He was just like you. Did you hear his call? Now I’m poppin’ in, over here, over there! I’ll be checkin’ in, but you’ll never be aware. In the beginning I kept a keen eye on the state of affairs with the new guy! Now I got a new gig, let me know if you dig. Not goin’ home, so I better go big. Just got a glance at cam 2B, then you get a little surprise…! _It’s me_.” I kicked back in my chair, my feet on my desk and my arms behind my head, smiling broadly. _Sounds real good, pal._ “You may say that I’m breakin’ your mind… In my opinion, you’re much too kind.” I grinned. _He nailed it! I didn’t know if he would…_ “Time for the main attraction. The story must be told! Time for a chain reaction… It never gets old. Some bots get satisfaction _breaking the mold_. Some bots are just distractions… Some bots are just gold.” A brief pause for music. “You did a good job. Watching those little screens… It warms my servos and circuits to hear some fresh _screams_. But don’t get me wrong! You were very brave. When faced with friendly singing _Guardians_ you never caved! I’m finished straining, done explaining. No more facts are left remaining, Now you know the gist of it; you’re a perfect fit. I don’t wanna hear any more _complaining_ … I’m passin’ down this golden opportunity: eternal scrapyard immunity. Take it with pride and enjoy the ride! You’ll forever be a part of this community… You may say that it’s all in your mind… But in the end, I think that you will come to find! You are the main attraction, your story must be told! You are a chain reaction, that never gets old! Some bots get satisfaction _breaking the mold_! Some bots are just distractions, some bots are just gold. You are the main attraction… Your story must be told… You are a chain reaction… That never gets old… Some bots get satisfaction breaking the mold… Some bots are just distractions… Some bots are _just gold_.” I clapped softly, half-hoping he heard it, then glanced at the monitor. 2:06 A.M.. I smiled when they started to play again. And they ended up playing it all through the night…


	15. Black Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everytime I see this chapter title, I think of "Frag Out". Just sayin' :P

  I ended up getting to work at 11:53 P.M., so I didn’t have time to set anything up. I gulped, straightening my cap. Nicky was nowhere to be find, and after a few minutes of searching, I had to retreat to my office. My heart was pounding and my body tense as I sat in my roller chair. _Why do I have a bad feeling about tonight…?_

 

I stared in fear at the monitor; 3:18 A.M., _12%_. I whimpered softly, glancing at both the closed doors. They had decided to give me a living Hell tonight, perhaps to show that they weren’t going to go easy on me just because I had given them a song. _4%_. _No, No, No, No, No…! Eep!_ My blood froze when every light flickered off, and after a few seconds the doors slid up. 0%. _Shit._ A chill ran down my spine when I heard Sandy’s signature music. I glanced around, my gaze locking on two familiar glowing eyes just outside the left door. _I’m not giving my life up this easily!_ I grabbed a flashlight and glanced around again as Sandy toyed with me. _I’m going to have to run!_ I flicked on the flashlight, but Sandy was entirely blocking the left door. However, the right door where Toothie was position had just enough room to slip through. _I’ve got to be fast… Alright, Jamie-boy, here we go!_ I stood up and shoved my chair in Sandy’s direction, bolting past Toothie and heading for the entrance. _Damnit!_ It was locked, and I had left the keys in the office. _Where to go…?!_ My body answered that by sprinting past Toothie and racing along the wall, dodging Pitchy and flinging open the door to the back room. I didn’t even close it since they were so close behind me, sliding down the rail of the stairs and landing hard on my ass on the concrete floor. “Shit…!” I swore, and when I heard metal scraping against metal, I crawled faster than I ever had as a child over to the generator. I didn’t even bother powering it on, just huddling against it and trying not to cry. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, terrified of the sounds I was hearing; there was growling and groaning and scraping and creaking, and finally… My heart pounded as I heard the metal door close. _Oh no, oh no, am I stuck in here with them…?_ I didn’t hear Sandy music, or chattering or giggling, and I didn’t feel cold and I didn’t hear any humming… I finally relaxed, allowing a few tears to roll down my cheeks. “I don’t w _ant_ to quit my job here… I _love_ it, here. I love the animatronics, I designed them myself! What happened to make them like this…? I hope Nicky’s okay… Maybe Jackie is guarding him. I dunno… Oh, Jamie, you were such a fool! Why couldn’t you have gotten a day job like the others? Why do we even need-“ My breath caught in my throat and my eyes darted about when I heard metal scraping against the floor. _Am I in here with one of them…?!_ I shrank back when I saw three shadowy figures approaching me. Grabbing my flashlight, which had slipped out of my hand, and flicked it on and shined it in front of me. Shock and fear seemed to replace the blood in my veins when I saw Nightlight, Ombric and Katherine making their way towards me. I bit my lip, staring at them with wide eyes, then relaxed in confusion when they sat down with me. Katherine and Ombric were on either side of my, and Nightlight was in front of me. Realization filled me and I teared up again. “D-Did you guys just save me?” Nightlight nodded, staring straight at me with _blue_ eyes. Katherine stared at me with _amber_ eyes, while Ombric watched the stairwell with _brown_ eyes. I felt faint, but didn’t _dare_ fall asleep. My eyes were drooping though, and my heart was evening out…

“Sleep.” Katherine spoke gently. “We-e’ll prote-protect yo-ou.” Her voice cracked several times, but it’s sincerity soothed me. I nodded slowly, tears still falling as I fell into slumber.

 

“Jamie! Jamie, holy Man in Moon, wake up pal!” My eyes fluttered open and I became aware that my entire world was shaking… No, it was just Jack trying to shake me awake. There were tears in his eyes and everyone else’s as they crowded around me. I glanced around. _Where are…?_ I spotted Nightlight, Kathrine and Ombric in their usual spot, unresponsive. I looked around again, then back up at my friends.

“Wh-How did you guys get in here?” They all relaxed, looking relieved.

“You idiot, Pitch let us in when you didn’t open the doors.” Sophie sniffed, wiping her eyes. I gasped and jolted into an upright position.

“What time is it?!” I exclaimed.

“Almost six-thirty, moron. How did you get down here, why do you look like this? What _happened_?” I raised a brow, then gulped when I glanced down at myself. My stomach had been wrapped, as well as my other arm, and my uniform shirt was discarded to the side and splotched with blood.

“That’s gonna be a tough one to explain to the guy at the laundromat.” I mumbled, then slipped out of Jack’s grasp. I stood up shakily, feeling almost as faint as I had last night. “I think, um… Yeah. Yeah, the power went out last night and I must’ve fallen down the stairs and been knocked unconscious.”

“Then why are you all cut up? And so far away from the stairwell?” Pitch questioned skeptically and I rolled my eyes.

“Well, _obviously_ this isn’t the _neatest_ room, so I could’ve cut myself on _any_ tool laying on the ground, such as those nails and hammer. And it’s perfectly possible for a body to tumble this far away from something when falling from such a high position. Either that, or I dragged myself over here while half-conscious to turn on the generator so I could find a medical kit.”

“I hate when ‘e gets all smart.”  Evan huffed and I laughed weakly.

“I think… I’m gonna go home… And get some more… Mph…” My words trailed into a mumble as I felt myself falling.

“Heheh, take it easy bro. I’ll take you home…” I nodded, almost incoherent when Jack lifted me up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jamie, you smart-ass >:)


	16. Survive the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is actually the author's favorite song by MandoPony. Huh

  After sleeping for an hour or two, I finally decided to get up. I winced, cradling my stomach with my arm. I briefly remembered Toothie snagging my arm and Pitch managing to scratch my stomach. _I’m not going to blame them… There has to be a reason why they act like this. Maybe it’s like a werewolf thing…_ I shook my head and walked over to the kitchen counter where my suit was folded up. _Mom must’ve washed it while I was asleep or something…_ I yawned, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and unfolding my suit. Since I was in my boxers, I didn’t have to strip down to put the purple clothing on. I straightened my tie as I walked outside, then began my trek down town.

 

“Jamie, what are you doing here?” Pippa hissed when I entered the pizzeria. I smiled.

“I have a job t’ do, Pips,” I chuckled, “I’m not letting a little accident keep me from my one-twenty.” She rolled her eyes almost angrily, crossing her arms.

“Fine. But if you have one more _accident_ , you’re going to quit. I’m not going to let my soon-to-be brother-in-law _die_ on the job.” My smile grew as I hugged Pippa.

“Thanks for your concern, Pips. It means a lot! But I’ll be fine, I promise,” I glanced down the hall, “I gotta check something, I’ll be back.”

 

I let out a breath of relief as I found my satchel still stored behind my monitor. _Guess I’ll keep it there, for now._ I sighed and looked up at the wall, staring long and hard at the pictures the children drew for me. _What ever happened to those good ol’ days…?_ I sighed again and shook my head, steeling my nerves. _Keep your focus, Jamie-boy. If you fuck up tonight, you’ll never see your job again!_ Another sigh. Then I smiled and nodded surely. _We’re getting down to the bottom of this! Now, let’s go see if Ethan’s here._

 

I smiled when I found a familiar group of kids surrounding Nicky, jogging over to them. Nicky looked more than relieved when he saw me as the children cheered. I sat carefully beside him in front of the children, patting his shoulder with a reassuring smile. “Did you hurt your other arm, too?” Ethan asked as he eyed the bandages and I chuckled.

“Yeah, I had a little mishap on some stairs. But I’m fine! All is well, kids.”

“Awesome! You look almost like a superhero with those!” A little girl squeaked happily and I raised a brow.

“Really?” The children nodded enthusiastically. I grinned and puffed out my chest, earning a few laughs and giggles. “Well, how about a story about the time my friends and I were _real_ heroes?” They all gasped, their eyes wide as they nodded vigorously. “Alright, so it’s starts with the story about when I first met Jack Frost…”

 

“You… Will… Be. Ok?” Nicky asked worriedly as I headed over to the stage.

“Of course!” I said cheerfully. “Yesterday my schedule got messed up, _that’s_ why everything went to Hell. Don’t worry, buddy, I’ve got it covered tonight.” I stared up at the animatronics on the stage, suddenly doubting myself.

“You. Ok… Now?” I sighed, looking away.

“I dunno, man, I just… I kind of want things to go back to normal. I remember the days when you guys weren’t like this, when you were just being built!             I designed you guys, ya know.” His eyes widened a bit and I gave him a small smile. “What the Hell happened, am I right?” I looked back up at the stage. “You were like my close friends… Why can’t it go back to that?”

“Jamie…” I shook my head.

“People say that my biggest flaw is that I care too much…” I laughed softly. “I always argued that it was me being too clumsy all the time.” I stared up at the three famous animatronics longingly. “I wanna be friends, again. I feel like I’m losing family every time I come here…” I shook my head to get rid of a stray tear, then stepped up onto the Stage. “In time, I suppose.” I placed down different packets for Sandy, Bunny and Toothie. “I hope…” I turned to Nicky as I hopped back down, placing a hand on his shoulder. I stared into his eyes for a moment, then hugged him tightly. “I hope.”

“Hope… Is good.” He murmured as we broke apart, and I smiled sadly and nodded.

“Hurry up and hide, pal. I’ll be fine, I think.” Nicky nodded, patting my shoulder gently before taking off. I sighed and turned back to the stage. 11:56 P.M.. _Let’s get this show on the road…_ I thought as I turned and started down the hall.

 

Around 1:30 A.M., with only one appearance from Bunny, music started to play. I smiled. _Hope they like this one; I thought hard about it._ They practiced the music for about another hour, then began to play for real. “Let’s try t’ make it right,” I smiled again when Bunny began to sing, “Don’t wanna start a fight. An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright. We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight. You’ll be so happy jus’ as long ‘s you survive the night! Let’s try t’ make it right, don’t wanna start a fight. An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright. We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight. You’ll be so happy jus’ as long ‘s you survive the night- _Hey_ , there, how ya doin’? Nice t’ meet ya, are ya new in town?” _He’s nailing this!_ I thought ecstatically, bobbing my head to the music. “Don’t think I’ve seen ya before, but it’s great t’ see new faces _around_ , an’ if ya’d like it, I could give a tour. Of our enchantin’ wonderland, new an’ improved with jus’ two doors! There’s no escape, but then- Who would wanna leave? It’s a fantastical paradise, an’ it’s not _make-believe_. I’m so excited t’ have a new member o’ the band. Y’r one of us now, s’ let me take ya by the hand!” _Let’s see if he can get this next part…_ “But what is that I spy? With my robotic eye… I think I see a bit o’ flesh inside the new guy! Maybe he isn’ everythin’ that ‘e seems? Time to investigate what’s underneath the seams!” I quick-checked the cameras, surprised to see Sandy on the drums. _I thought only Bunny knew how to do that… Huh._ I flipped the tablet off before they could tell I was watching them, smiling again when the music kept on going. “Let’s try t’ make it right, don’t wanna start a fight. An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright. We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight! You’ll be so happy jus’ as long as you survive the night. Let’s try t’ make it right! Don’t wanna start a fight. An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright… We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight. You’ll be so happy jus’ as long ‘s you survive the night! If you survive the _night_. Oh, I’ll take ya away… T’ our enchanted _land of play_ \- F’rgive me f’r bein’ suspicious, mischief’s not on m’ brain. We’re programmed t’ be pragmatic if someone messes with the main frame. It’s not tha’ we don’t trust you! We _do_ , we _love_ ya, too. It’s jus’ tha’ here at Sandy’s,” A chuckle, “We ‘ave a few _rules_. _And if you break them we will have to break you like you broke our hearts_. _We’ll be forced to rewire you and repair your damaged parts_.” I shivered at how well he managed that part. “Now, ya wouldn’ want that. An’ frankly, neither would I. But sometimes t’ do some good, ya gotta _be the bad guy_!” I grinned, kicking back a bit after winding the music box. “In this world we play, we hope tha’ you will stay. An’ we will through our most electrifyin’ soiree! Formal attire is required for you t’ take part. You’ve got some skin tha’ needs removin’ before we _start_!” A bit of the drums, then Toothie with the keyboard. Bunny sand softly, now. “Let’s try t’ make it right… Don’t wanna start a fight… An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright… We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight… You’ll be so happy jus’ as long ‘s you survive the night.” Soft laughter from Bunny, then the music began loudly again. “Let’s try t’ make it right! Don’t wanna start a fight. An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright... We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight. You’ll be so happy jus’ as long ‘s you survive the night! Let’s try t’ make it right! Don’t wanna start a fight! An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright! We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight! You’ll be so happy jus’ as long ‘s you survive the night! Let’s try t’ make it right. Don’t wanna start a fight. An’ we’re so sorry if we give you all a lil fright. We’re not so scary if ya see us in the daylight. You’ll be so happy jus’ as long ‘s you _survive the night_ …” I flicked the camera back on to check on them, disturbed and frightened when I saw Bunny staring straight at the camera. “I’m sure you’ll survive. Jus’ don’ break the rules, an’… Play nice. An’ I’m sure we’ll all get along jus’ fine… We’ll be the best o’ friends. _Forever…_ ” I shivered and turned off the tablet, chilled to the core. Though I didn’t get any visits for the rest of the nights and they kept playing their music, I made sure to keep an eye out so that I’d survive the night.


	17. Having Fun?

  I yawned and rubbed my eyes as I unlocked the doors for my friends. “See? I’m fine. I made sure the power didn’t go out, last night.” I hummed happily as I led them in. I was surprised when I saw the Guardians landed just outside the door with the sleigh. “Hey, what are you guys doing here?” They were all smiling as they walked in with us.

“Helping you guys clean up!” Jack chirped, flying down the hall. “Looks like you guys could use help!” He called and I chuckled.

“Yeah, sometimes the animatronics knock things over during the night.” I said casually as we entered the Main Hall. The Guardians stared at me in shock, and I paused. “Oh! I never told you; the animatronics free-roam at night to keep their servos from locking up. It keeps them from breaking down. That’s why the other three broke down; they weren’t set on free-roam.” _Or so I assume…_ The Guardians relaxed, but Pitch raised a brow. I tensed. _Is he figuring it out…?_

“That’s… Creepy.” He muttered with a nod, and I realized he was telling me that he ‘realized’ why I had that nightmare. I relaxed, then tensed again when I heard a curtain being pulled back. We all turned to face Winter Wonderland, and my eyes widened a bit when I saw Nicky exiting the room. He stared at us for a few seconds, easily showing no emotion, then began to walk slowly over to us. He reached into his sack and pulled out a Pitch doll, handing it to Sandy.

“Nice.” He said in his normal robotic voice, and Sandy gasped happily and tightly hugged the doll. Then Nicky looked at Pitch. “Behave.” Pitch looked rather offended as Nicky walked over to stand near the entrance of Pitch’s Lair and ‘powered off’. I snorted and shook my head in amusement, taking out a rag and hopping onto the stage.

“What, are ya gonna act like tha’ didn’t happen?” Evan huffed and I chuckled.

“Yup.” I hummed as I began to wash down the animatronics.

“He just _saw_ us,” Toothiana squeaked, “And _talked_ to us!” I rolled my eyes, peering down at them.

“Yeah, and so do animals. He’s programmed to scan everything, and that’s what he did. He saw your entity, and felt through it as he does everyone else.” I turned my attention back to the animatronics, oiling their joints.

“You sure do like cleaning them, Jamie.” Caleb said slowly, and I paused. _Do I?_ I rolled my eyes.

“You know what they smelled like when we first came in here for work! I don’t want that happening again. I want to keep them as clean as I can so they don’t make kids sick. Not that kids are allowed on the stage…” I reshuffled their song playlists, matching them, then hopped back down. I stared at my friends for a moment, raising a brow. “I’m not going to clean the entire place by myself. My job is to take care of the animatronics. Somebody get to scrubbing the floors, bathrooms, kitchen, et cetera!” A few of them saluted, the rest giggled.

“Yes sir, mister Jamie sir!” I blushed and rolled my eyes with a smile, heading over to clean Nicky.

 

“Hey, kid.” I jumped, turning around and swinging the bottle of cleaner I held in my hand. “Oof! Ow…” Pitch muttered as I hit him in the stomach. I gasped softly and pulled my arms back.

“Shit, Pitch, I’m so sorry! Don’t scare me like that, dude!” Pitch laughed, rubbing his stomach.

“Good reflexes, kid. Listen… Are you okay? You seem real jumpy, lately.” I sighed.

“I’m sure it’s just lack of sleep,” I muttered, “But I’ll be fine.” Pitch nodded, obviously believing my lie.

“How are your wounds holding up?” I yawned as I rubbed my arms and stomach carefully with a smile.

“Good. They don’t hurt much.” I finished washing down Pitchy, then turned my full attention to the real Pitch Black. “So… Do you like the maze?” I asked as we walked slowly through it. Pitch grinned.

“Yes, actually. It quite reminds me of home.” I grinned as well.

“Great! I designed it myself, you know.” Pitch blinked in surprise.

“Really?” I nodded.

“I designed most of the pizzeria. Mostly just the layout. But I made the designs for the animatronics, as well. That’s why I care so much about them… They’re family.” Pitch smiled and nodded, seeming to understand now. I glanced at the clock as we entered the right hall; 6:57 A.M.. “You guys should hurry up and get going; people are going to start arriving, soon.”

“Alright, kid, take care of yourself.”

 

After snoozing for about an hour, I was awoken by a familiar voice. “Mister Jamie!” I tried not to grin, keeping my eyes closed. “Mister Jamie, are you awake?” I didn’t respond.

“He’s a heavy sleeper…” Another kid muttered.

“Boo!” I said suddenly, lurching forward. The kids yelped and fell back, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Behave.” I looked to my side to see Nicky glaring at me. I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

“Sorry, buddy, I couldn’t help myself. Just keeping them on their toes, ya know?” The children giggled and stood back up, crowding around me.

“That was a good one, mister Jamie!” Ethan laughed and I smiled again.

“Thought you’d like that!” I chuckled. “What’s the plan for today?” The kids glanced at each other.

“We thought you’d like to come with us to Winter Wonderland!” I hesitated. _Am I ready to see Jackie during the day…?_ I steeled my nerves and smiled, nodding. The children cheered, Ethan grabbing my hand as they led me over to the open curtain. I glanced back at Nicky, who subtly waved goodbye. With a silent sigh, I passed through the door.

 

It turned out to be more fun than I thought it would be, and Jackie wasn’t even paying me any mind. I dodged and threw snowballs, laughing with all the children. I was having… _Fun_. The first real fun and relaxation I’d had in a while. “Having fun?” I tensed, recognizing the voice. I turned, only to come nose-to-nose with Jackie. I stared at him with wide eyes. Was it just me, or was he staring at me with the black-voice eyes? _“Y-Y-Y-You wi-i-ill.”_ I gasped and shut my eyes tightly, then reopened them. Jackie was standing about a foot away from me, normal glassy/icy blue eyes, holding his staff innocently. I relaxed, then fell as I was hit square in the face with fake snow. I was caught by Jackie, to my surprise. _“You will.”_ I gulped, my blood as frozen as the air, standing back up quickly and backing away.

“What’s wrong, mister Jamie?” Ethan asked with a smirk. “The cold getting to ya?” I chuckled awkwardly.

“Yeah, a little bit… How about we go over to Pitch’s Lair, now?” The children grinned and nodded, and I relaxed in relief. Jackie’s black-void gaze followed me all the way out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jackie, fuck off.
> 
> Jackie: D:


	18. The Show Must Go On

  I stared at Toothie for a long moment. I had full confidence that she would enjoy this song and nail it head-on, but I wasn’t sure if it was enough to get me through the night. It might damage her vocals… There was a lot that could go wrong. “I have faith you can pull this one off, Toothie. Just… Don’t over-do it, it’s a rock song, after all.” I set the packets of music in front of the three animatronics and hopped off the stage, making my way over to Nicky.

“Faith. Is… Good,” He said, “Just like… Hope.” I smiled and nodded.

“Think she can do it?”

“Think?” He shook his head. “Know.” He nodded. Patting my shoulder gently, he turned and headed for Winter Wonderland. I glanced at Toothie worriedly once more, then left for my office.

 

At around one o’clock I heard the music start up. I smiled and quick-checked the cameras. Sandy was on the drums again while Bunny had his guitar, and Toothie was in front of the mic. The other two were smiling encouragingly at her… I sighed, then wound up the music box and turned off the table. At 2:30 A.M., he music truly began. It started out softly at first… “Ooh, la la, la ah… La la, la la, la la la la... La, ah la, la la la la… Oh, la la la- _One, two, three, four_!” I was taken aback by how Toothie belted out the chords. The music grew louder all at once, like a true rock song. I smiled. _They’ve got this._ “There was… A full Moon in the sky. We met… A brand new robot friend! At first, he seemed a little shy. He would not play pretend… He sang just fine! And played in time! But did not look the part. And so we lovingly decided to give him a _brand new start_!” _Big part coming up, you can do it, Toothie._ “No matter what we say or do, it’s never up to me or you! We smile now and sing a _cheer_! The show must go on! The _show must go on_! Never fear… The _show_! _Will_! _Go_! _On_!” A break for the guitar. “Ahaha, hehe, heeheehee…! Oh, we’re gonna have _so much fun_ together! It’s gonna be a real party.” I smiled again. _I like how they add some stuff in. They’re really talented…_ “We removed his squishy casing, to keep his circuits safe and sound… And ended up replacing it with scraps that we had found. But what a shame, a _cryin’ shame_! Our friend was in a world of pain. Oh, we tried to _fix him up_ , but it was _all in vain_! No matter what we say or do, it’s never up to me or you! We smile now and _sing a_ _cheer_! The show must go on! The _show must go on_! Never fear… The _show_! _Will_! _Go_! _On_!! We just don’t know what went wrong! _We tried to get along_! But our new robot friend’s power _faded_..! We did our best to fix our guest. We hated to see him so distressed! We said farewell and had him… _Terminated_!!” A break for music, then it quieted down the slightest bit. “Every toy eventually breaks, every battery fades and drains. Even the tiniest little mistakes, can leave behind the messiest stains. We know that we’ll be alright, although he didn’t survive the night.” It began to pick up again slowly but surely. “Through the pain and through the tears, the show goes on for _years and years_!! No matter what we say or do, it’s never up to me or you! We smile now and _sing a_ _cheer_! The show must go on! The _show must go on_! Never fear… _The show_! _Will_! _Go_! _On_!!” And then it ended. I ended up clapping loudly and even whistling, then stopped myself and gulped. I checked the camera quickly. Toothie looked proud and a little shy, while Bunny was nodding. But Sandy… Sandy was glaring straight at the camera. My breath caught in my throat and I flicked the camera off. _Come on, please play again…_ I relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief when the music started again. _Well, the show must go on._ I thought with a chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Jamie, you and your puns.


	19. Child At Heart

  I was awoken from my short nap by something knocking on the wall. I yawned and stretched, glancing at the monitor; 6:32 A.M.. _Shit._ I stood up and stretched again, turning to walked out of my office so I could open the door for my friends. “Fuck!!” I swore loudly when I saw Sandy standing in the doorway of my office with a broad smile. I fell back and quickly began to scramble away, only to realize that this was the real Sandman. He stared at me with wide, confused eyes, cocking his head cutely to the side. “Damnit, dude you scared me! What the Hell?!” He shrank back a bit and I sighed. I quickly noticed the others behind him and sighed again. “Sorry, just… Ya can’t startle me like that, little guy.” He smiled unsurely and nodded. I paused, looking up at everyone since I was still on the floor. “Wait, how’d you guys get in here?” They all glanced at Pitch, who shrugged his shoulders His pupils were dilated, so he had obviously gotten a good whiff of my fear. “Ugh…” I rubbed my back with a wince. “ _You_ guys’ll be the reason I don’t survive this job.” I laughed softly, shakily standing up. I had to steady myself using my desk.

“You alright, man?” Claude asked worriedly. I chuckled lowly and nodded.

“Scared the energy out of me.” I laughed bitterly, then glanced around when I felt a little better. “Uh, you guys can go ahead and clean up. I’m just gonna wash down the animatronics, then I’m going home…” I yawned and they all nodded.

 

I cheerfully waved my friends goodbye and locked the door behind me, feeling more refreshed than I had in a while. I practically sprinted over to Nicky. He stared at me with wide, surprised eyes. “Hey, buddy! Have I ever told you how much you mean to me?” He blinked slowly. “Sorry, I just wanted to say it in case I don’t live for many more nights.” He looked a bit worried, now.

“You… Okay?” I nodded happily.

“I feel real good! Don’t know why, but it’s like I’m a kid again! I sure miss those days. You saw the real Guardians, right? I met them when I was little! They’re pretty much the reason we’re all here, today. I think you’d really like them! You’ve already taken a liking to Sanderson, the one you gave a Pitch plushy to. It’s funny, because he actually has a crush on Pitch!” Nicky blinked in surprise, then furrowed a brow.

“Tall one… Sketchy.” I giggled.

“Of course he is! He’s the Boogeyman. He used to be a bad guy, you know. But not long after this place was created, he became a Guardian. It was funny…” I giggled again and Nicky laughed.

“This side… Of you is. _Good_.” I nodded happily.

“Haven’t felt this happy in a while! Not since my mom decided to open this place up.” Nicky looked surprised again.

“Your mother… Owner?” I nodded. “You… Too?” My smile grew.

“My mom said I could inherit this place in a few more years. Then we can have tons more fun! I’ll come here every night and still be the guard so we can play! And I might give the place a make-over, a bit more homey and bigger! And I could fix you all up to work like brand new, repair your voice boxes, too. I notice you guys have trouble with them, sometimes. You know what I told Nightlight, Mother Goose and Ombric? I told them when I have enough money I’m going to repair them! Then they can play with us, too!” Oily tears filled Nicky’s eyes.

“You… Good. Nice. Child… In here.” He tapped my chest and I blushed, grinning warmly.

“My light will never go out.” I said firmly, a promise. Nicky nodded, then glanced at the clock.

“Time…” He said slowly, and I glanced at the clock; 11:56 P.M.. I nodded, then hugged him tightly. He hugged me back, then pulled away. I quickly wiping the oil in his eyes away with my rather-used rag, then patted his shoulder.

“Take care, pal.” I murmured, and he smiled and nodded before turning and heading for Winter Wonderland. I looked up at the stage, my smile holding. “Take care of my friends and the children if I have to leave, ok?” I said softly, a single tear sliding down my cheek.

 

Only once had I ever been this terrified; the night the power went off. My eyes darted about the tablet screen, frantically checking the cameras. I couldn’t find Bunny. But when I flicked on the door lights, he wasn’t there either. “No, no, no, no, no…!” I whimpered, running a hand through my hair. I glanced up at the wall, my gaze running slowly over all the pictures the children drew for me, then the plushies that Nicky had given me. I closed my eyes, letting my memories run through my mind… Snow days, school days, Guardian days, friend days, alone days… I sniffed softly. “I’m so sorry…” I whispered, hoping that somehow my words would be carried to my friends’ ears. When a chill swept over the room, my eyes shot open wide in horror. _I forgot to keep an eye on Winter Wonderland…!!_ I relaxed, sighing and slumping back into my roller chair. _Maybe it’s my time…_ I smiled bitterly. _I can accept that. Lunar will keep me safe in my spirit days…_ I sighed again as I heard the metal feet racing down the halls… But what came next, I was not expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's gonna happen?! :O


	20. An Unlikely Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the thing happens.

  My heart beat rapidly in my chest as I stared at the scene before me. Bunny was on all fours, snarling as he glared up at Jackie. Jackie stared at him in surprise and slight fear, his _green_ eyes confused. With sharp chattering from Bunny, Jackie glanced down the hall before taking off. Bunny relaxed with something akin to a sigh, then turned to me on his metal paws. His _silver_ eyes looked concerned. _He… He saved me…_ I gulped when he padded closer. Having fallen out of my chair from the shock, I scooted back nervously until I bumped into the wall. I was trembling now, backed into a corner with a killer animatronic moving closer and closer. But then he did the most remarkable thing… He _laid in my lap._ And he did it so gently that I hardly felt the weight. Yet, I still felt myself slipping. Perhaps it was from the shock? The fact that I had almost died? The fact that a killer had saved me? So many possibilities, but I was too tired to think of them all. My eyes began to droop as I stared into Bunny’s silver eyes. He still looked worried. I smiled weakly and slowly raised a hand, setting it carefully on the robot’s back. Then it all faded to black.

 

I didn’t know what time it was when I woke up. It didn’t matter. What _did_ matter was the robot in my lap, seemingly sound asleep. I stared down at it nervously, gulping. _Can I get out without waking him up…?_ But at the tiniest shift, Bunny’s silver eyes snapped open. I stiffened, staring down at him with wide eyes. But then he _smiled_ and _nuzzled my shoulder_ with a _happy chatter_. “Y-You save me.” I squeaked out, and one of his ears flattened. He looked a bit embarrassed, now. “Thank you….” I whispered with a shudder, and he nodded. I glanced at the monitor; 5:49 A.M.. “You should get back to the stage,” I said softly, turning back to Bunny, “But… Don’t get yourself hurt.” After a few seconds of staring into my eyes, he nodded and crawled off. With one last glance at me, Bunny dashed out into the hallway. I quickly stood up and sat down in my roller chair, picking up the tablet and turning it on. I flicked it immediately to the Stage and saw Bunny crawling up onto it. Sandy was glaring him down the entire time, Bunny’s movements slow as he avoided the lead singer’s gaze. When Sandy opened his mouth to say something, Bunny suddenly shot a look at him. Sandy looked taken aback by this, staring at Bunny with wide eyes. Bunny held his gaze before he finally looked straight out and ‘powering down’. Sandy scowled and shook his head before doing the same. Toothie, seeming worried, did so last. I sighed, turning the tablet off and glancing around. That was when I noticed Pitchy in the vent, staring at me with wide eyes. His claw-like hands were grasping the grate bars tightly. I smirked. “Tough luck, pal; you’re not getting through there any time soon. Lag screws, strongest I could find.” He frowned, his eyes still wide, before turning and crawling away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Pitchy's not happy 'bout it.


End file.
